Audition Process
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: Nine community college students, a twelve-year-old and a ten-year-old hope to be in a college production of Ragtime. Based on actual events. Rated T because I'm paranoid.


Disclaimer – I own nothing of Ragtime or RENT. They belong to their respected owners. I do own the plot and my original characters. 'Nuff said.

_**Italics **_are song lyrics and thoughts.

A/N: I recently went through an audition process and thought it would be fun to write about. My college is putting on Ragtime, which I'm really excited about. I haven't heard back yet if I got a callback or not. I auditioned for the role of Emma Goldman, since she's one of my favorites in the musical. Angel is out of drag in this story and goes by Dumott.

A/N 2: AGES:

Benny – 33 years old

Joanne – 32 years old

Collins – 30 years old

Roger – 21 years old

Dumott – 27 years old

Mark – 22 years old

Maureen – 21 years old

April – 19 years old

Alison – 26 years old

Mimi – 12 years old

Ryan (Roger's son) 10 years old

Summary: AU: Nine community college students, a twelve-year-old and a ten-year-old hope to be in a college production of Ragtime. Based on actual events. Rated T because I'm paranoid.

Genre: Friendship/None

Rating: T

* * *

Roger Davis was the first to arrive for the Ragtime auditions. He filled out an audition form and went over lines. He was auditioning for Father, one of his favorite roles in the musical. His favorite part was Coalhouse, but seeing as Roger wasn't black, he couldn't auditioning for the role.

"Daddy, what if I don't get the part?" a twelve-years-old's voice greeted Roger's ears. He looked up and saw a really cute twelve year old with her dad.

"Marissa Josephina Rosario Marquez – you will do fine, no matter what happens." Her father told the girl. She nodded and filled out an audition form.

Roger had finished filling out his audition form and had his picture taken. He was now sitting on the back stairs with the little girl.

"Hi." He greeted her. She looked away. Roger could tell she was nervous. "Is this your first audition?"

The girl nodded and stared at her hands.

A few of Roger's friends – Benny, Joanne, Collins, Dumott, Mark, Maureen, April and Alison – had joined him on the stairs. All of them were chatting loudly as other people entered the school and filled out an audition form. This was the first day of auditions, so Roger knew it was going to be loud and confusing. Roger's son, Ryan, would be coming to auditions later – he had a tennis match that day. Ryan's mother had died after Ryan was born, so it was Roger and Roger's sister, Lilly, who were taking care of Ryan.

"Everyone is needed in the auditorium – NOW!" A theater volunteer told the chatting students and shy children. Everyone got off their feet and headed next door to the auditorium. Roger waved to Ryan as he entered the auditorium. Ryan flashed his father a smile and sat next to him.

"Could I have everyone's attention, please?" the director of the show – a woman in her 60s named Mary Jo Lamp – asked the crowd of potential cast members. They stopped talking and turned their attention to Mary Jo. "Thank you. My name is Mary Jo and I would like to welcome you all to the audition process for _Ragtime_. Here's how the audition process is going to go – a third of you will stay in the auditorium with Missi and a third of you will follow me to Rehearsal Room 48. You will stay in that room while I call you in one-by-one to sing for me. Once everyone has sung, you will then read lines with each other.

Callbacks will happen early next week. If you don't get a callback, it was great working with you and I hope you will come see the show. Any questions?" Mary Jo asked. When no one replied, she left the auditorium.

"Could I see Roger Davis, Ryan Davis, Mimi Marquez, Dumott Schunard, Benny Coffin, Maureen Johnson, Tom Collins and Alison Grey, please?" a blond woman standing on stage asked the people in the audience.

Those whose names were called walked onto the stage while the others waited in Rehearsal Room 48. She introduced herself as Missi and told them what they would be doing. All of them nodded in understanding and went to find a place on the stage while Missi turned on some warm-up music.

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Missi called as she put on Where Is The Love by the Black-Eyed Peas. She had them start out walking to the music, then changed it up by having them either walk fast, fast, slow, or slow, slow, fast.

Once they were warmed up, Missi stood in front of the group and showed them the movements they would be working on for Henry Ford.

"Sorry!" Roger apologized as he almost ran into Benny.

"It's okay." Benny told Roger.

They worked on the routine for another half-hour before Missi told the group that they could go.

It seemed like Roger had just sat down after getting some water when his name was called. He grabbed his sheet music and entered the room next to Rehearsal Room 48.

"Hi!" Mary Jo greeted Roger. Roger smiled at her and handed the pianist his music. "What are you going to sing for us, young man?"

"I'm singing Til I Hear You Sing from the musical Love Never Dies." Roger announced. Mary Jo grinned widely as the pianist played the opening notes.

"We just need you to sing 15 bars of the song, okay?" Mary Jo told Roger. He nodded and the pianist resumed the song.

"_The day starts, the day ends  
Time crawls by  
Night steals in, pacing the floor  
The moments creep, yet I can't bare to sleep  
Til I hear you sing_

_And weeks pass, and months pass  
Seasons fly  
Still you don't walk through door  
And in a haze  
I count the silent days  
Til I hear you sing once more_

_And sometimes at night time  
I dream that you are there  
But wake holding nothing but the empty air_

_And years come, and years go  
Time runs dry  
Still I ache deep in my core  
My broken soul  
Can't be alive and whole  
Til I hear you sing once more_." Roger sang, feeling pain in his heart. This song had been playing when his wife, Ruby, died.

"That was absolutely beautiful, Roger." Mary Jo praised Roger. He smiled, thanked her, gathered his sheet music and exited the room. He went back to Rehearsal Room 48 and sat down on a chair.

"That was beautiful." Maureen told Roger as she looked over her song. She was singing I'm Not That Girl from Wicked.

Everyone had sung and were now waiting to run lines. Roger was practicing with Alison, a girl he had met at the rehearsal. Alison had shoulder-length mousy-brown hair, green eyes and stood a few inches shorter than Roger. She seemed like a really nice girl and Roger looked forward to working with her in the future.

_A week later_

Roger and Ryan were sitting down for lunch when the phone rang. Roger rushed to pick it up and pressed the power button.

"Hello? Hi Mary Jo. I'm fine. We got parts! Thank you so much! When's the first rehearsal? Okay, we will be there. Thanks again!" Roger hung up the phone and turned to Ryan. "Ryan, buddy, I have some excellent news – both you and I got parts!"

"Really?" Ryan asked, his blue eyes wide. Roger grinned and nodded.

That day, Roger received phone calls from his friends, including Mimi, who had made friends with Ryan. Roger called Mimi's father to ask if it would be okay to take Mimi out for ice cream to celebrate her getting a part. Her father said that it was fine, but to have her home in a couple hours. Roger didn't ask why. He figured it was between Mimi and her dad.

Roger, Ryan and Mimi met Benny, Joanne, Collins, Dumott, Mark, Maureen, April and Alison at The Scoop – the local ice cream place.

An hour later, Roger took Ryan and Mimi back to his house so that they could play before Roger had to take Mimi home.

While the kids watched a movie, Roger worked on his lines before taking Mimi home.

"I'll see you at rehearsals next week, okay?" Roger told Mimi as he watched her get out of the car. She nodded and thanked him before going to the one-story gray ranch house.

A week later, Roger and Ryan went to the community college for their first rehearsal. They signed in then went to walk around, seeing as they were the first ones there, besides Missi and Mary Jo.

"Dad! Here's the cast list!" Ryan announced, pointing the bulletin board outside the theater.

In the middle of the bulletin board was a piece of white paper with everyone's names on it.

CAST LIST:

BENJAMIN "BENNY" COFFIN – Coalhouse Walker, Jr.

JOANNE JEFFERSON – Sarah

TOM COLLINS – Booker T. Washington

ROGER DAVIS – Father

DUMOTT SCHUNARD – Henry Ford

MARK COHEN – Tateh

MAUREEN JOHNSON – Evelyn Nesbit

APRIL ERICCSON – Emma Goldman

MIMI MARQUEZ – Tateh's daughter

ALISON GREY – Mother

RYAN DAVIS – Edgar

AARON COFFIN – Little Coalhouse

There were other people listed, but Roger was just focused on finding his friends on the list. He knew that Aaron was Benny's nephew and a cutie pie. He would make a great Little Coalhouse.

_Four months later_

It was opening night of Ragtime. Roger couldn't believe how far he and his fellow castmates had come. All of them were in hair and makeup before getting into their costumes.

"I look like a Southern Belle!" April complained as she got into her costume to be Emma Goldman. The seamstress, Anna, had told everyone that they could keep their costumes.

The musical lasted until November 22nd, which everyone was upset about. Roger invited everyone to his apartment for Thanksgiving a few days later. Everyone said 'yes' and also said that they would bring things, so Roger didn't need to do any cooking. Roger did say that he would get the turkey and a couple pies. Everyone agreed to that.

A few days later was Thanksgiving. Lilly, Roger and Ryan spent most of the day either cleaning or cooking in preparation for later that day.

The turkey was in the oven and the pies were in the fridge. Roger and Ryan were watching football when the doorbell rang. Roger paused the game and went to answer the door. He smiled and ushered Mimi and her father inside. Joanne, Benny, Aaron, Maureen and April followed them.

"The others are coming." April told Roger, handing him a bouquet of roses and a bottle of white wine.

Roger, April and Benny were setting the table when Collins, Dumott, Alison and Mark entered the apartment.

"…And thanks for bringing these amazing people together. Amen." Roger said. Everyone repeated 'Amen' before digging in.

Roger got some food for Ryan and took it to the kid's table. Mimi, Ryan and Aaron were sharing a small table near the adult table.

"Everything okay over here?" Roger asked. All three kids nodded and ate their food.

After dinner, everyone helped clear the dishes and helped dish out pie. During dessert, Roger found himself laughing and conversing with everyone. Every so often, he would look at the kid's table and see Ryan laughing with Mimi. Aaron was sitting on his uncle's lap, currently being fawned over by Maureen, April and Joanne. The six-year-old seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Everyone left after dessert, thanking Roger, Lilly and Ryan for an excellent night. Alison ruffled Ryan's hair as she exited the apartment. Ryan smiled at her and ruffled his hair back into place.

"Okay, Ryan. It's time to go to bed." Roger told his son. Ryan nodded and went to get ready for bed. Roger and Lilly cleaned up the kitchen.

"Did you have fun?" Roger asked his sister. She nodded and carried some dishes to the kitchen sink.

"Yeah. Do you think I could go to mom's for a bit?" Lilly inquired. Roger nodded and handed his sister the keys to the car. She hugged him and exited the house, grabbing her phone and coat on the way out.

It was nearly 1:15 in the morning by the time Lilly came back to the apartment. Roger was watching the news and snoring in front of the TV. She quietly snuck by him and into her room.

A month after the musical ended, Roger received a DVD of the show. He and Ryan watched every minute of it, including the cast interviews and deleted scenes.

Roger was so happy to have that experience and hoped that he, along with Ryan and maybe Lilly, would audition for more shows.

Sadly, at the end of February, Mimi and her father were killed in an automobile accident. Everyone attended Mimi and her father's funeral.

The most touching thing about the funeral was Mark's poem that he read in Hebrew – there was a translation on the back of the program. By the time Mark finished, there wasn't a dry-eye in the house.

Long after the deaths of Mimi and her father, Roger would find himself staring into the sky, hoping that wherever they were, they were safe and free from harm.

_Go out and tell our story  
Let it echo far and wide  
Make them hear you  
Make them hear you_

_How justice was our battle  
And how justice was denied  
Make them hear you  
Make them hear you_

_And say to those who blame us  
For the way we chose to fight  
That sometimes there are battles  
Which are more than black or white_

_And I could not put down my sword  
When justice was my right  
Make them hear you  
Make them hear you_

_My path may lead to heaven or hell  
And God will say what's best  
But one thing He will never say  
Is that I went quietly to my rest_

_Go out and tell our story  
To your daughters and your sons  
Make them hear you  
Make them hear you_

_Proclaim it from your pulpit  
In your classroom with your pen  
Teach every child to raise his voice  
Then my brothers, and then_

_Will justice be demanded  
By ten million righteous men  
Make them hear you  
When they hear you  
I'll be near you again_

* * *

**_Make Them Hear You_ is my favorite song from Ragtime. I thought it would be perfect for the end of the story. **

**WHEN REVIEWING, PLEASE BE NICE. **

**I AM NOT CONTINUING THIS STORY, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO PUT IT ON YOUR STORY ALERT**.


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